Method and Apparatus for Object Viewing, Observation, Inspection, Identification, and Verification

ABSTRACT

In an object verifier having a housing and an object holder, an object may be placed in the object holder for observation by an operator. The object is illuminated using a collimated beam of white light that is generated by a light generator. The collimated beam of white light is passed through a beam splitter with the two portions of the collimated beam of white light presented to the object at a 90 degree angle one from the other. The interior of the housing includes a reflective surface for maximal illumination of the object. The observer may view the illuminated object through a viewing window and/or through a magnification window. The magnification window provides for the viewing of the object in greater detail.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is based on and claims priority from U.S. provisionalpatent application Ser. No. 60/439,368 filed Jan. 10, 2003.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for objectviewing, observation, inspection, identification, and verification, andmore specifically for the close examination of surfaces or small objectswith low power magnification incorporating the use of controlledlighting.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

To determine the authenticity or identify distinguishing features ofobjects, and specifically of small objects, for example, gem qualitystones, or small features on larger objects, for example, water marks onstamps, a number of methods have been used including the use of ajeweler's loupe, a magnifying glass, a microscope, or other similarapparatus, for purposes of magnifying the object or a portion of theobject being viewed. The success of these methods depends on a number offactors, including the skill and training of the person viewing theobject or portion of the object, on the availability of the properaccessory for providing the desired or necessary magnification, and onthe availability of adequate and appropriate lighting conditions. Inmany instances only some but not all of these resources are available,providing a less than optimal environment for determining authenticityof or identifying objects. Even when all of these resources areavailable, their availability is usually limited and/or their quality isless than optimal.

Until recently, with the proper training, gemological verification andidentification was achievable using a jeweler's loupe. For example, ajeweler, through purely visual inspection using a jeweler's loupe, coulddistinguish between natural and synthetic diamonds. However, with therecent technological advances in the synthetic production of diamonds,it is no longer possible, or if possible it is very difficult, throughpurely visual inspection using a jeweler's loop to distinguish betweennatural diamonds and synthetic diamonds. In a documentary on Channel 13,originally broadcast on Feb. 1, 2000, a method for diamond verificationwas described that entailed the use of a laser tuned to a particularwavelength. The diamond under review is placed into a special holdingapparatus and illuminated using this laser, which, in the case ofsynthetic diamonds, causes a fluorescence of the diamond, therebyrevealing its synthetic origin. This method is of limited practical usesince the cost of such lasers runs in the hundreds of thousands ofdollars, the diamonds must be sent to the location where the laser islocated, because the laser is large (and impractical to use) anddifficult to transport, and it is a time consuming process to set upeach diamond for verification by such a laser.

In the fields of numismatics and philately there are available apparatusfor viewing and inspecting objects, such as, for example, coins orstamps, which provide a certain level of magnification. The usefulnessof these apparatus are limited since they are bulky, must be worn on theface of the user, require external lighting and are costly. Thealternative to these apparatus is the hand held magnifier glass, whichprovides for magnification of limited sections of the object and usuallyincludes distortion and requires external lighting.

There is therefore, a need for a method, and apparatus that provides forthe simple, cost effective, and efficient viewing, observation,identification and inspection of objects and object verification.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for objectviewing, observation, inspection, identification, and verification thatovercomes the limitations of the prior art. More specifically, thepresent invention provides a method and apparatus for object viewing,observation, inspection, identification, and verification where all ofthe necessary functions are provided in a single piece of equipment ormultiple pieces of equipment operating together, which is of compactsize, low cost and easy to use.

The present invention also provides a method and apparatus forcontrolled illumination, which may include, for example, control of thewavelength and/or color temperature of a light source. The presentinvention also provides a method and apparatus for positioning anobject, which may include, for example, providing a viewing area thatpermits the controlled illumination to be the dominant source of lightfor the object or surface of the object even with relatively highambient light conditions, and which may also include a positioner forplacement and securing of objects, for example, small gem stones, coins,postage stamps, etc. The present invention also provides a viewingwindow, which may include, for example, the incorporation of selectivemagnification and which protects the viewer from UV radiation that maybe generated by the illumination wavelengths selected.

The present invention can be used where known apparatus providesub-optimal results, require a controlled environment for use (which isoften not available), or require specialized training. For example,features in gems, such as, for example, flaws, may be examined andidentified using a jeweler's loupe, but certain features may not bediscernable by a person not specifically trained or experienced in theuse of such a device. The present invention allows a novice to examinegems and identify specific features, including, for example, flaws,without the need for any specialized training or experience. The presentinvention also allows for the inspection of other objects and theirfeatures in detail under controlled conditions. For example, the presentinvention can be used for inspecting paintings, coins, artifacts,forensics, crime scenes, coatings, etc.

The present invention can also be used, for example, for distinguishingbetween natural gem quality stones, including diamonds and a number oftypes of synthetic gem quality stones, including diamonds, and fordating and authenticating works of art, such as, for example, oilpaintings. The object verifier according to the present inventionprovides the necessary illumination at the proper frequency for inducingthe fluorescence of a synthetic gemstone and various pigmentations.

The object verifier according to the present invention may also providefor the proper positioning of the gemstone or other object, and/or formagnification of the gemstone or other object. The object verifier mayalso provide for select levels of magnification corresponding to one ormore positions of, or locations on, the gemstone or other object.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for objectviewing, observation, inspection, identification, and verification forgeological materials, including, for example, minerals and crystals,vegetation, including, for example, plant reproductive systems and leafstructures, and animals, including, for example, insects, arachnids andreptiles. The present invention also provides a method and apparatus forobject viewing, observation, inspection, identification, andverification for a multitude of small man-made objects, including, forexample, postage stamps, anthropologically significant handicrafts, suchas, for example, arrow heads, beads, and decorative items, antique, art,or collectable items, a wide range of manufactured objects where visualinspection is required for quality control, and a wide variety oflocations where features and details require examination.

The present invention provides for each individual, and all possiblecombinations, of the following features: illumination control—whichprovides control over the wavelength and/or color temperature of thelight source; an illumination/viewing area—which permits theillumination of an object to be accomplished using the dominant lightingfor the surface/object even with relatively high ambient lightconditions; and a viewing window—which incorporates selectivemagnification for various portions of the surface/object and protectsthe viewer from exposure to UV radiation that may result from theillumination wavelength used. In one possible embodiment, theillumination/viewing area may include an object holder so that smallobjects, such as gem quality stones, may be secured and/oradvantageously positioned, for example, for detailed examination andevaluation. The illumination/viewing area may also or alternativelyinclude a mirrored or transparent surface on which the object ispositioned, for example, for detailed examination or viewing.

The illumination control includes a high quality ‘white’ light source,such as, for example, a tungsten-halogen lamp (known for its efficientand uniform light quality over the life of the lamp) with a ‘universal’power source (100-240 vac input). Additionally, beam-forming optics willprovide a beam profile and focal length suitable for the subsequentmanipulation by the illumination control components.

The beam forming optics may be designed, for example, such that the beamprofile will become relatively collimated and then divide into two beamswhich diverge at about a right angle—the angle being in the planeparallel to the subsequent viewing window and roughly parallel to thesurface that may be the subject of examination as the beam(s) enter theillumination/viewing area.

After the initial beam profile has been established, and prior to thebeam division just described, a wavelength or color temperatureselection element may be provided that functions to ‘filter’ the lightsuch that the emerging light quality is of a desired characteristic.This characteristic can include: a) the apparent color of the light—thatcan be specified by a relatively wide range of wavelengths; b) theexclusion of a particular narrow range of wavelengths; c) the inclusionof a narrow range of wavelengths; d) more than one narrow range ofwavelengths; e) light of a particular ‘color temperature’—that is thefull range of visible wavelengths where the distribution of wavelengthsis shifted to a particular characteristic of light, e.g. daylight, or‘tungsten’ lighting; and f) other light qualities.

The above ‘filtration’ can be best achieved through the use ofholographic optics because of their ability to provide the complexoptical processing in a very thin optical element. Further, the use of aholographic grating can permit the user to adjust the apparent color ofthe light by means of a knob that changes the grating's angle within thelight beam. However, any type of optics, software or data manipulationmay be used to perform such ‘filtration.’

A second illumination source may be included to provide UV light in asimilar configuration to that for white light on UV compatibleinstruments and objects. The UV illumination optics will, of necessity,be different than those used for visible light. These optics and theholographic optics will be suitable for the ‘near-UV’ wavelengths, andthis illumination source will only share a common exit aperture with thewhite light source as the light enters the illumination/viewing area.

The UV illumination is preferred for the examination and verification ofdiamonds, other gemstones, and minerals as well as for the examinationof pigments in paintings. Should the unit be targeted for the inspectionof commercial quantities of diamonds (for instance) a special highintensity hard UV source could be coupled to the unit, and the viewer'seyes and skin would continue to be protected by the viewing window's UVblocking properties. This would permit suspect synthetic stones to bequickly segregated from natural stones in large groups.

The goal of the illumination/viewing area is to (a) provide relativelyuniform illumination to all surfaces and/or objects positioned withinthe illumination/viewing area, and to (b) position the viewing window atthe optimum location for observation, inspection and examination of thesurface and/or object by the viewer. The illumination/viewing area mayalso include object positioning hardware, for example, an object mount(such as used for positioning gemstones), or a surface for positioningan object, such as, for example, a mirrored or transparent surface.

The illumination/viewing area may be designed such that a first portionof the illumination/viewing area will include an aperture forintroduction of the beam(s) by the illumination control, as describedabove. As described above, the illumination may comprise, for example,two roughly collimated beams of light offset by approximately 90 degreesfrom one another emerging from this aperture. As these beams enter theillumination/viewing area, one of the beams will encounter the ‘upper’interior wall of the illumination/viewing area while the other willencounter the ‘lower’ interior wall of the illumination/viewing area.

To achieve the highest uniformity of illumination toward the surfaceand/or the object, the interior surface(s) of the illumination/viewingarea will be comprised of a ‘white’ (very broad band) diffuselyreflective surface(s), formulated to also be diffusely reflective andnot fluorescent for UV wavelengths. Alternatively, the interiorsurface(s) may be less reflective or not as diffusely reflective as a‘white’ surface(s). These surface(s) will include a surface contour thatdirects a portion of the reflected light toward the surface and/orobject to be illuminated. In addition, a portion of the interior surfacenear the illumination aperture will be contoured to reflect a portion,and preferably, a significant portion, of the incident light back towardthe wall surface adjacent to the illumination aperture.

A significant portion of the reflected light from the ‘upper’ and‘lower’ interior walls of the illumination/viewing area will exhibitsurface reflection, and be directed toward the ‘end’ wall of theillumination/viewing area, opposite the illumination aperture. This wallsurface, as well as the wall surface adjacent to the illuminationaperture should have the same or similar reflective characteristic aspreviously described.

The path of the illumination beams will circle the central region of theillumination/viewing area, and the diffusely reflected light will alsobe reflected from the ‘inside’ of the viewing window to provideadditional surface or object illumination. Should a particularapplication require greater illumination from the location of theviewing window, a reflective or refractive coating, such as, forexample, a broadband dielectric coating, may be used to enhance thereflective illumination provided by or from this surface.

The illumination/viewing area may be designed such that the positioningsurface is located at the lower portion of the illumination/viewing areaand the viewing window is located at the upper portion of theillumination/viewing area. The positioning surface, if comprised oftransparent material, may be offset from the bottom of theillumination/viewing area such that any light directed toward the objectmay be reflected from the bottom surface of the illumination/viewingarea for further illumination of the object. Where the positioningsurface is comprised of reflective material, there may be a designed-inoffset between the reflective portion and an adjacent transparentportion such that the light directed toward the object may be reflectedback toward the bottom portion of the object for enhanced illumination.The viewing window may have the same properties as described above,and/or may include a curvature, such as, for example, to provide asubstantially uniform distance from each position of the viewing windowto the object, to minimize distortion of the object being viewed.

The viewing window may be used to augment the illumination of a surfaceand/or object, and may include magnification zones for magnifying thoseportions of the surface and/or object detail viewed through themagnification zone portions of the viewing window. The magnificationzones within the viewing window may be provided using ‘off-axis’magnification, thereby requiring a complex or other type of lens system.

For example, holographic elements may be used to provide themagnification zones within the viewing window. Holographic elements areappropriate because they do not have the bulk or fabrication costsassociated with magnifying lenses, and in particular the type ofmagnifying lenses necessary for use in ‘off-axis’ magnification, but areable to provide the complex functionality necessary for providing thedesired magnification. Alternatively, lenses or other optical elementsmay be used.

As an example of a configuration for the viewing window, there would beprovided a clear (non-magnified) view of the surface and/or object atthe central region of the viewing window, and a number of independentmagnifying zones to enlarge portions of the surface and/or object, forexample, three zones, with one located at each of the upper, lower-leftand lower-right zones of the viewing window. These magnifying zones mayrange from relatively low power (e.g., 1.8 to 2.5×) to a somewhat higherpower (e.g., 5.5 to 8.2×), and even to a higher power, and could beuseful for a wide range of uses, for example, from biological andgeological specimen examination to textile and printing inspection.

Viewing windows may be provided for a variety of specialized purposes,to include greater magnification, magnification zones in speciallocations and at powers up to 8× or even greater. For UV examination offluorescence and phosphorescence, for example, for gemstones orpaintings, the viewing window would provide the viewer with protectionfrom the harmful effects of UV radiation on the eyes and skin, or asdiscussed below, can provide an image of the object on a display orother device at a remote location.

The present invention also provides for an object positioner, to allowfor the holding and positioning of objects, for example, individual gemsas well as the positioning of small objects for examination within theobject verifier. The object positioner is useful, for example, forexamination and appraisal of jewelry and gemstones. It permits a quickand simple examination and allows for extended use, i.e., for a numberof hours, without the eyestrain normally attendant to certain viewingactivities, such as, for example, gem categorization, sizing, andseparation, numismatic portfolio appraisal, etc. The object positioneris easily adapted to be used in the illumination/viewing area. Forexample, it can be mounted to the ‘back’ opening or bottom of theillumination/viewing area, or at some other location.

The object positioner may be rotatable such that the object may bepositioned for viewing from any angle. The object positioner may befully adjustable and/or rotatable in all directions and all axes. Theadjustment/rotation may be accomplished and/or controlled manually orthrough one or more motors and may provide for rotation in one, two orthree dimensions, such that the position of the object may be adjustableabout all three axes and in all directions.

The present invention also provides for a fiber optic spot illuminator,to allow for the independent illumination of portions of the surfaceand/or object being viewed. The fiber optic spot illuminator includes anillumination source that can be easily introduced into theillumination/viewing area, and positioned to provide a directed beam oflight (like a spotlight) to a particular location or at a very preciseangle to the surface and/or object. The illumination source may be, forexample, a generic ‘white’ light fiber optic illuminator that would havea relatively low cost. Alternatively, the illumination source mayincorporate all of the illumination color and wavelength control of theverifier illumination described above. This would be more costly, andwould provide the same or different illumination characteristics to thesurface and/or object than that provided by the verifier unit itself.

The present invention also provides for a manipulation adaptation, whichwould allow for the manipulation of objects within theillumination/viewing area. The manipulation adaptation would incorporateone or more openings in one or more walls for the introduction of toolsand/or instruments for the manipulation of an object within theillumination/viewing area. This would permit, for example, thedissection of a biological specimen within the controlled illuminationof the verifier and under low to high power magnification. This activitycould be easily captured on video or some other recording medium, orrelayed to video monitors or some other display device for real-timedemonstration or instruction.

The present invention also provides for the use of the device in manydifferent configurations, including, for example, as a partial housing(without a rear portion), as a flat or curved lens having no housing, oras any other portion of a housing, so that examination of a portion ofthe surface of relatively large objects or locations might beaccomplished. These large objects may include, for example, paintings,pottery, furniture, textiles, printed or hand written documents, andlocations may include, for example, archaeological sites, crime scenes,coated surfaces, etc.

The present invention also provides for a camera mount, which wouldallow for the mounting of a camera or other image capture device to theillumination/viewing area. The camera mount may include any number oflegs to support a camera or other recording device, and would allow forthe recording of the surface or object under examination, for example,by conventional photography, digital photography, video, etc. A moreadvanced camera mount would include adjustments for the leg lengths sothat the camera or recording device may be positioned to view the objectthrough any window or magnifying zone desired.

The present invention may also include, as part of the housing or as aseparate element, an image capture device or system, such as, forexample, a CCD or other digitizing image capture device, for purposes ofcapturing images of the object being viewed. The image capture devicemay be positioned within the interior of the housing or at an apertureof the housing. The data from the image capture device may be sent to adata storage device, such as, for example, CD-ROM, DVD, RAM, ROM, harddrive, memory card, volatile or non-volatile memory, optical datastorage tape drive or any other data storage medium or device, or to acomputer or display device, such as, for example, a LCD monitor, CRTscreen, or any other display medium or device, or to a printer or someother image presentation device, for purposes of viewing an objectlocated in the illumination/viewing area, archiving information aboutthe object or for other image capture or storage purposes. For example,the image data captured by the digitizing image capture device may beused for purposes of generating a hologram of the object.

The present invention may also or alternatively include, as part of thehousing or as a separate feature, a spectral analyzer system, using, forexample, a fiber optic probe or lensing system, to capture light fromthe object and perform a spectral analysis on the constituents of thelight from the sample. The fiber optic probe or lensing system maydirect a portion of the light reflected from the object to a spectralanalyzer integral with or coupled to the housing or to a separatespectral analyzer that may be located adjacent to the housing or at aremote location. The spectral analyzer may be used to provide additionalinformation about the object, such as, for example, chemicalcomposition, molecular structure, or age of the object, beyond theinformation that can be determined by a mere visual inspection,irrespective of the magnification capability of the system.

The present invention may also be used as a mini-studio for capturingimage data of an object for generation or creation of a hologram, forexample, using V-3D as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,748,347, at alocation within the housing or at a remote location. Such image datacapture may be accomplished in real-time or at a later point in timefrom archival data records.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an object verifier according to an exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of the magnification window of the objectverifier of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a diamond as viewed through the magnification window of theobject verifier of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows an object verifier having a rotatable object holderaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows an object verifier having a rotatable object holder andgearing for rotation of the object about multiple planes, according toan embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows an object verifier having point illumination according toan embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows an object verifier having apertures for manipulation of theobject according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows an object verifier that provides for the mounting of animage capture device according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 9 shows the object verifier of FIG. 8 with a camera mountedthereto.

FIG. 10 shows the object verifier of FIG. 1 including a digital imagecapture device.

FIG. 11 shows a wavelength selection element according to an embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 12 shows an object verifier having a white light generator and a UVlight generator, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 shows a method of object verification according to an embodimentof the present invention using the object verifier of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An exemplified embodiment of an object verifier according the presentinvention is shown in FIG. 1. This embodiment of a verifier includes ahousing 1, in the shape of a cube. Alternatively, the housing may be ofany three dimensional shape, including, for example, pyramid, sphere,ovoid, cylinder, octahedron, tetrahedron, polyhedron, spherical, etc.,or a portion thereof, for example, a hemisphere. The housing 1 includesa viewing window 3 formed integrally with a first side-wall 5 of thehousing 1, or fitted within a frame 7 formed in the first side-wall 5 ofthe housing 1. The exterior surface of the housing 9, excluding theviewing window 3 may be coated with a protective or decorative material,such as paint, rubber, lacquer, laminate, decals, etc. The interiorsurfaces of the housing 11 forms an area 13 within which an object 15 islocated. The interior surface 11 of the housing, including or excludingthe viewing window 3, may be coated with a reflective coating,preferably a low-loss type of coating. Alternatively, the interiorsurface 11 may be uncoated or have any type of coating. The area 13includes an object holder 17 into or onto which the object 15 is placed.The object holder 17 is mounted onto the interior bottom surface 19 or aside surface 21 of the housing, using an anchor 23, such as, forexample, a screw or rivet, by temporary or permanent bonding, such as,for example, adhesive or welding, using Velcro, or some other anchoringdevice. Alternatively, the object holder 17 may simple be placed withinthe housing 1 without being attached thereto. The interior surface ofthe viewing window 25 may be left uncoated or may be coated with adielectric material, such as, for example, ZrO₂ or TiO₂, which willenhance the illumination of the object 15. The housing 1 includes twoillumination windows 29, 31 offset one from the other, with the firstillumination window 29 located next to the viewing window 3, and thesecond illumination window 31 located on a side of the housing 1adjacent to the viewing window 3. Alternatively, there may be one or anynumber of illumination windows at various locations as desired. Theinterior surfaces of the housing 11 are contoured such that the lightreflecting off of such surfaces is directed primarily toward theopposite surfaces, i.e., the surfaces where the illumination windows 29,31 are located. Alternatively, the interior surfaces may be flat or haveany shape or contour. A hinged or removable upper portion 27 is providedfor the housing 1 to allow for access to the interior, as well asinsertion, removal, and manipulation of the object 15. Alternatively,the top of the housing 1 may be open, or in place of a removable ormovable upper portion, there may be a wall portion or bottom portion ofthe housing that may be open, removable or movable. The housing may notinclude an object holder, but instead the object may be placed on thebottom surface of the housing 1.

Coupled to the illumination windows 29 and 31, via a fiber optic cable33 (or other light transmitting wave-guide), is a light generator 34.The light generator 34 provides a collimated beam of white light 35 thatis used to illuminate the object 15. The collimated beam of white light35 passes through a beam splitter 36 prior to entering the fiber opticcable 33. The fiber optic cable provides two paths for the collimatedbeam of white light 35, the first path 37 leading to illumination window29 and the second path 38 leading to illumination window 31.Alternatively, the light generator 33 may provide a beam of light of aselect wavelength or group of wavelengths, such as, for example, UVband, or IR band. Aside from directly illuminating the object 15, thecollimated beam of white light 35 is also reflected from the opposinginterior surface of the housing 39 to the other interior surfaces 11 ofthe housing 1. This reflection of the collimated beam of white light 35provides for enhanced illumination of the object 15. The light generator33 may be powered by a DC power source, such as, for example, battery,or by an AC power source. Alternatively, there may be no splitting ofthe collimated beam of white light 35, and only a single illuminationwindow, or there may be splitting of the collimated beam of white lightinto any number of portions with a corresponding number of illuminationwindows. The beams of light may be transmitted to the interior of thehousing via some other means of transmission. Alternatively, the lightgenerator may be a semiconductor diode laser or some other light sourcedirectly coupled to the housing with no need for a fiber optic cable orother transmitter. The light used for illumination may also benon-collimated or of any shape or structure.

As shown in FIG. 2, in an embodiment according to the present inventionthere is a magnification window 40 positioned within the viewing window3. The magnification window 40 includes an holographic element 42 forenhancing the viewer's access to information contained in or on theobject 15. Alternatively, the viewing window 3 and magnification window40 are formed from a single holographic element, with the magnificationwindow 40 located in a particular portion of the viewing window 3. Theremay be any number of magnification windows as separate elements or aspart of the viewing window 3 or combined together into any number ofseparate windows.

As shown in FIG. 3, a flaw 44 in an object, in this case a diamond 46,being viewed through the magnification window 40, which would not bevisible to the naked eye, is clearly visible even to an untrainedviewer. The magnification window 40 increases the size and enhances theclarity of the viewable image of the diamond 46 through magnificationand controlled lighting of the diamond 46.

In FIG. 4, there is shown an embodiment of the present invention wherethe object 15 may be rotated within the housing 1. In this embodiment,the object holder 17 is mounted onto a disc 50. The disc 50 is coupledto a motor 52 via a belt 54, that provides for the rotation of the disc50, and in turn, the rotation of the object holder 17 and the object 15.The movement of the motor 52 is controlled by a control circuit 56 andis operated by the viewer, using a switch 58.

Optionally, there may be a speed control that allows the viewer tocontrol the speed of rotation of the object 15.

As shown in FIG. 5, there may optionally be first gear 62 coupled to themotor 52, and second gear 63, coupled to a second motor 64. The firstgear 62 is coupled to a first shaft 65 that is cylindrical with thecentral portion being hollow, and the second gear 63 is coupled to asecond shaft 66 that runs through the center of the first shaft 65. Thefirst shaft 65 is coupled to an object holder 67, and the second shaft66 is connected to a third gear 68. The first gear 62 and the firstshaft 65 provide for the rotation of the object holder 17 and thereby anobject 69 about a first axis. The third gear 68 is coupled to the objectholder 17 to provide for the rotation of the object holder 17 andthereby the object 69 about a second axis. This configuration providesfor the rotation of the object 69 in more than one plane. Alternatively,the object 69 may be placed directly on the disc 50 or on any otherobject that is coupled to the motor or manual device for rotation of theobject 69.

Turning to FIG. 6, there is shown an embodiment of the present inventionthat includes point illumination of portions of the object being viewed.A spot illumination light source 70, is coupled to the housing a fiberoptic cable 72 or other type of light waveguide. A spot illuminator 74is positioned at a location in the housing that will allow for the pointsource illumination of a predetermined location in space thatcorresponds to a point 76 on the object 15 when the object 15 ispositioned with reference to the viewing window 3. The pointillumination may be provided by any other illumination device,including, for example, a laser diode, laser or direct light source. Thepoint illumination may also be provided using one or more mirrors tofocus the light at a particular location. This point illumination may beadjusted to any size or location in the housing 1 through control of thespot illumination light source 70.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the present invention that includesapertures in the housing that provide for object manipulation. Thehousing 1 includes two apertures 80 through which manipulation tools maybe inserted into the housing 3. For example, where the object is abiological specimen, such as a deer tick 82, the manipulation toolscould be a tweezer 84 and a scalpel 86 for dissection of the deer tick82. The magnification window 40 would provide for an enlarged view ofthe deer tick 82 and the scalpel 86 to assist the operator in thedissection of the deer tick 82, and to aid the viewer in identifying thevarious features of the deer tick 82 as it is being dissected. The useof the spot illumination light source 70 from FIG. 6 could also aid inthe viewing of the dissected deer tick 82. Alternatively, there may besealed openings through which gloves are inserted or attached forisolated manipulation of the object, when the issue of contamination maybe involved.

As shown in FIG. 8, there is shown an embodiment of the presentinvention that provides for the mounting of an image capture device tothe housing. There is provided at the viewing window 3 or at themagnification window 40 a camera mount 94 that would allow for themounting of a camera 95 or other image capture device to the housing 1.FIG. 9 shows the camera 95 coupled to the camera mount 94. The camera 95includes at least one support leg 96 such that the weight of the camerawill not cause the housing 1 to become unstable. The activity of theoperator, such as, for example, the dissection of the deer tick 82described above, may be easily captured on film or video or some otherrecording medium for storage, or later viewing or playback, or relayedto a video monitor or some other display device for real-timedemonstration or instruction. Alternatively, the image capture devicemay have access to a view of the object through a dedicated aperture ormounting location on or in the housing 1.

FIG. 10 shows the embodiment of the invention as described with respectto FIG. 1, further including a digital image capture device 97. Thedigital image capture device 97 may include, for example, a CCD ordigital detector, and may be located within the housing 1. The digitalimage capture device 97 may be used, for example, to provide a digitizedview of the object 15, for archiving of the digital data, for viewingthe object and/or for reproducing a holographic or three-dimensionalimage of the object 15. The digital image capture device may alsotransfer the image of the object 15 to a display device via cable 98 forviewing the object 15 in real time and/or in enhanced form. Power forthe digital image capture device 97 may be obtained from a battery orother power supply.

FIG. 11 shows a wavelength selection element 100 according to anembodiment of the present invention. The wavelength selection element100 that is coupled to the light generator 33 acts as a filter for thecollimated beam of white light 35. The wavelength selection element 100includes a holographic optical element 102 through which the collimatedbeam of white light 35 passes. The holographic optical element 102processes the collimated beam of white light 35 and directs theprocessed beam of light 104 onto a holographic grating 106. Theholographic grating 106 includes a controller 108 for adjusting theangle or position of the holographic grating 106 with respect to theprocessed beam of light 104. In place of the controller 108, a motor,mechanical adjustment, and/or switch may be used to automatically adjustthe angle or position of the holographic grating 106. The processed beamof light 104 is reflected off of, by and/or through the holographicgrating 106 and then through one or more apertures in filter 110 toprovide a filtered light beam 112. The angle or position of theholographic grating 106 in conjunction with the various apertures offilter 110 determines the characteristics of the filtered light beam 112that is reflected off of, by and/or through the holographic grating 106.After passing through one or more apertures of filter 110, the filteredlight beam 112 passes through a second holographic optical element 114that serves to collimate the filtered light beam 112 to provide a tunedlight beam 116. The wavelength selection element 100 may be used toadjust the wavelength of the light provided to the verifier. Byadjusting the holographic grating 106 and the apertures of filter 110,the wavelength selection element 100 may be used to exclude particularwavelengths of light, include particular wavelengths of light, provide aparticular color temperature for the light, select or exclude a singlewavelength, adjust the amplitude of the light, or provide for otherlight modification techniques. Alternatively, the adjustment of thelight may be accomplished using optics, or software or data manipulationin place of the grating and aperture structure described above. As analternative to the mechanical apertures of filter 110, a spatial lightmodulator (SLM) may be included to intercept the light from theholographic grating 106. The SLM may be controlled by software todynamically include and/or exclude one or more selected wavelengths fromthe holographic grating 106. The SLM can provide more subtle control ofthe filtered light beam 112 by allowing the construction of a filteredlight beam having very specific characteristics. The SLM operates undersoftware control, similar to the way a LCD can be used to reconstruct animage (as in a computer display). The SLM operates on the phase andamplitude of the light with which it interacts, and can be controlled toprovide a grating structure that can be instantly changed to a differentgrating structure under software control. When a broadband lightilluminates the SLM, the SLM will interact with the selected gratingstructure to produce a particular spectral dispersion (a dispersedspectrum as from a prism or simple grating) such that a desired narrowportion of the spectrum falls on an exit aperture and passes on asfiltered light beam 112. It is also possible, through the softwarecontrol, to change the SLM grating structure so as to provide a numberof different narrow portions of the spectral dispersion to the exitaperture in rapid succession. By controlling the time duration of eachof the portions thus selected, it is possible to present a preciselycontrolled spectral profile as the filtered light beam 112.

As shown in FIG. 12, a second light generator 120 may be included withthe object verifier to provide UV light 121 to the housing through an UVillumination window 122. This may be used for purposes of use with UVcompatible instruments and objects requiring UV illumination. A secondviewing window 124 is provided that includes a UV holographic element126. The UV holographic element 126 is suitable for the ‘near-UV’wavelengths, and the UV light 121 provided by the second light generator120 may either share common apertures with the illumination windows 29,31 for purposes of providing UV light 121 to the interior of the housing1, or it may be transmitted through separate apertures. If the UV light121 shares common apertures with the collimated beam of white light 35,coupled to the light generator 33 and the second light generator 120 maybe a combiner for combining the UV light 121 and the collimated beam ofwhite light 35. The viewing window 3 would include a UV filter 128 toprotect the viewer from the UV light reflected back from the interiorsurfaces of the housing 11 and the object 15. The second light generatormay be a laser, laser diode, or some other type of light source.

FIG. 13 shows a method of performing an object verification using theobject viewer of FIG. 2. In step 200, the object 15 to be analyzed isplaced in the object holder 17. The light generator 33 is switched on instep 202, providing a collimated beam of white light 35 for illuminationof the object 15. In step 204, the operator looks through the viewingwindow 3 for purposes of analyzing the object 15. In step 206 theoperator may view the object through the magnification window 40 toverify the analysis of the object or to observe the object 15 in furtherdetail for purposes of analyzing the object 15. The operator may use animage capture device in step 208 to record an image of the object 15 formemorialization or archival purposes.

1. (canceled)
 2. (canceled)
 3. (canceled)
 4. (canceled)
 5. An objectviewer providing for illumination and observation of an object,comprising: a partial housing, the partial housing having a transparentwindow, wherein the transparent window is formed from an optical elementand wherein the optical element includes a portion that provides for amagnified view of the object; and a light generator coupled to thehousing, and generating a beam of light for illumination of the object.6. The object viewer of claim 5, wherein the beam of light is reflectedoff the partial housing to illuminate the object.
 7. The object viewerof claim 5, wherein the partial housing is a frame.
 8. The object viewerof claim 5, further comprising a multiplexer (splitter) for dividing thebeam of light into two portions for illumination of the object from aplurality of directions (angles).
 9. The object viewer of claim 5,wherein the light generator is a first light generator and furthercomprising a second light generator, and wherein the first lightgenerator generating a first beam of light for illumination of theobject from a first direction and the second light generator generatinga second beam of light for illumination of the object from a seconddirection.
 10. The object viewer of claim 9, wherein the first lightgenerator generates a beam of light in the visible spectrum and thesecond light generator generates a beam of light in the non-visiblespectrum.
 11. The object viewer of claim 5, wherein the illumination ofthe object is part direct illumination and part reflective illumination.12. The object viewer of claim 5, wherein the light generator generateswhite light.
 13. The object viewer of claim 5, wherein the lightgenerator is a tunable light generator.
 14. The object viewer of claim5, wherein the partial housing is shaped such that the reflected lightis dispersed substantially evenly onto the object.
 15. The object viewerof claim 5, wherein the rear surface of the partial housing includes areflective coating.
 16. The object viewer of claim 5, wherein the rearsurface of the partial housing includes a refractive coating.
 17. Theobject viewer of claim 5, wherein the optical element is a holographicoptical element.
 18. The object viewer of claim 5, wherein the opticalelement is a lens.
 19. The object viewer of claim 5, wherein the opticalelement includes an optical filter.
 20. The object viewer of claim 19,wherein the optical element includes a front surface and a rear surfaceand wherein the optical filter prevents UV light from traveling throughthe optical element in the direction from the rear surface of theoptical element to the front surface of the optical element.
 21. Theobject viewer of claim 5, wherein the optical element is curved.
 22. Theobject viewer of claim 5, wherein the light generator provides for spotillumination.
 23. The object viewer of claim 5, wherein the lightgenerator provides for dispersive illumination.
 24. A method forproviding illumination and viewing of an object, comprising: at leastone of placing the object adjacent a partial housing that includes arear surface and placing the partial housing adjacent the object,wherein the housing has a transparent window and wherein the transparentwindow includes a portion that provides magnification; generating a beamof light; and directing the generated beam of light to the object atleast partly by reflection from the rear surface of the partial housing.